Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D., D.C.) claimed Washington D.C. is the safest city in the U.S. Monday in a Navy Yard shooting press conference:

ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON: I want to say to residents who are coming home today that the response of the police, the taking down of the shooter so quickly, convinces me yet again that this is the safest city in the United States. Not safe from attack, but safe.

Apparently D.C. is safe in some symbolic way. Not safe from murder, robbery or rape. But safe in the way that the economy has recovered, but hasn’t actually created jobs.

Violent crime so far this year in the District has spiked sharply — a 40 percent increase that includes twice as many robberies at gunpoint than at this time last year.

Across the city, all police districts are reporting increases in violent crime, and all but one have had double-digit percentage increases, according to internal Metropolitan Police Department documents.